We rarely notice when our mind is at rest. Here we cultivate that skill creating more space in - and less attachment to - the thinking mind. A worthwhile skill.
Meet your Teacher
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Transcript
In this meditation, We are going to focus on the auditory restful experience of mental quiet inside your head. We are usually not aware of how many times during the day the mental chatter stops, Usually because we've moved our attention elsewhere to an arising of sound, Sight, Physical or emotional sensation in the body or mental images. We are used to moving our awareness to what arises, What is active. In this meditation, We will develop the skill to be able to stay tuned into a restful absence of activity, To the quiet in the head. Or if internal talk is present, To the space around and through the internal talk, Much like noticing negative space in a painting or the air in the room instead of the objects. This can also help you attach less to the content of internal talk, As it just becomes an activity that is happening, As you focus on the space around and through it. So while this can be a challenging exercise, The potential benefit with practice is a reprogramming of your relationship to the thinking mind, A relationship that has more space and freedom. So let your body settle while you allow the spine to lengthen, To stretch up, As simultaneous stretching and releasing, Letting the body relax down around the lengthening spine. And just let the body settle. Now bring your awareness to talk space. This is the spatial location where your internal talk manifests. Most of us know when we are thinking, But have never thought of a spatial location where the talk comes from, But there is one. You can find where it is for you by saying a word or a couple words to yourself, Like a mantra. Repeat them, Pause, Repeat them, Pause, And listen to where you hear that voice. Now that location is where the majority of your awareness will be for this meditation. And if you lose it, Can't find it, You can always say a word or words and listen to where you hear that voice, And that will remind you of the location, Although with practice it will become familiar and you'll just know to go there. So now without deliberately evoking any words, Allow your awareness to just rest at that location. There may be talk, It may be quiet. We're going to especially notice any time it's quiet, Any time the talk stops or is absent. If there is talk, No need to pay attention to content, It's just activity happening. Maybe it's not even identifiable words, Just movement. But if it is words you can understand, Treat it like a language you don't speak. And you have the option of labeling. If there is talk, You could label it talk or hear in, Since we're hearing in to the verbal component of the thinking process. Maybe there'll just be subtle white noise or vibration, Like a shimmery undercurrent. Whether there's talk or movement or just a subtle white noise, Allow the movement of it to be a kind of massage. And maybe it goes quiet, Maybe there's no talk or movement. You could note that as hear rest. You could say a label or just enjoy the peacefulness without a label and just keep your attention at that location. So that any activity, Whether clear words or just vibration, Let it be a massage without paying attention to meaning. And if there's no movement, If it goes quiet, Let the stillness of that stabilize consciousness. You could say a label hear rest or just park there. When doing mental labels in your head, It could sound something like this. Hear in, Hear in, Hear rest, Hear rest, Hear in, Hear rest, Something like that. But again, Labels are optional. They just help you keep your attention where you want it, But only use them if you need them. Hear in or hear rest. Hear in. Thank you. And as you have your awareness just resting in talk space, There may be activity or no activity, There may be talk, It may be quiet. And maybe, Even if talk is present, You can look through it or around it to a kind of space or lightness. Just how foam is there but less solid, You could notice the spaces within the foam. Or maybe the space around. The internal talk may not fill all of talk space. So tune in to the part of talk space where there is rest, Even if talk is present. Just try it, It may be odd, If it doesn't work for you that's fine. Just hang out in talk space. That may be difficult for some, But for some it may be an opportunity to explore another option of restfulness in the mind. I want to hear from you again about your experiences with speech making system. Do you have contact forms in your mind of mass, Per subject that have you stretched out means about 4 feet, Ahmed, Like, What have you done Another way of tuning in to a quiet restfulness in the mind is to notice the natural response in the mind to any external sound, Especially a loud one. The part of the brain that registers auditory experience is the same whether you're hearing in or hearing out. And when a loud sound expands in the world around us, The sound in our head contracts. Our awareness naturally gets drawn out to that sound. And even if it's just for a moment, For a flash, There'll be a sudden quietness in the mind. Tuning in to this can be a very rich experience, The kind of thing that helps you stay grounded no matter what's happening. And how to practice it is by keeping your awareness in talk space as we've been doing. And if any external sound arises, Maybe 5 or 10% of your attention can go there. But keep most of your awareness in internal talk space and notice how the expansion of the sound on the outside creates a contraction of the sound on the inside. Again, Like negative space. That might be particularly challenging. It's not an easy thing to do, But I just mention it because it is a form of hear rest that we can notice in our daily lives as loud sounds appear, Especially ones that tend to annoy us. What if instead we tuned in to how the mind gets a little window of quietness? So now keeping your awareness in talk space as we have been. There's either talk or it's quiet. You could label hear in, Hear rest, Or just note. And any time the talk disappears, Where there's quiet in the head, Especially notice and soak into that. Maybe you can see space around and through. Maybe you can notice any talk activity getting smaller or disappearing when an external sound arises. That's extra. The main simple practice is to just notice if there's talk. It's a massage. If there isn't, Rest in that quiet. And now, Drop all labeling. If you are labeling, And just allow your awareness to rest in any quiet that is present in talk space, The place where you normally would hear internal talk. If talk is present, See if you're able to listen through or around it to a kind of quiet within or around. Or you may notice that if external sound increases, That internal talk decreases. Or maybe there is no talk and it's just quiet. But for most of us, It may just be about resting in talk space regardless of whether or not talk is present. And allowing all talk to be just auditory movement happening. And of course, If there is no talk, You then have a quiet stillness in which to rest. Hear rest. Hear rest. Don't you have a hearing Aid? We are developing the key skill of being able to tune into a restful state of mind. A peaceful experience instead of activity, Noticing the quiet in the mind. Hopeful- Gonna relax a bit just like a oyster. . . . . . Good. Now, Notice if you're more concentrated, Settled, Maybe you have more clarity about the thought process, About the verbal component of the thought process and the space where we experience it. Maybe you have more equanimity or acceptance. If any of those or other positive qualities from this meditation are present, See if you can allow them to continue after you make the transition from formal eyes closed practice to the opening of eyes and moving about. It will happen after this meditation.
4.6 (470)
Lisanne
March 18, 2025
My current favourite meditation March 2025. Thank you 🙏
Paul
November 22, 2024
Such a clear guide to introspective awareness, thank-you.
Cathee
November 7, 2023
This was very helpful, thank you 💜❤️💜
Jim
May 9, 2022
A great instructional talk and less of a meditation session Not sure about the labeling but will give it a shot. Multiple short periods of silence to allow for practicing of the provided instruction. Will need to relisten several times. Thanks
humbledaisy
August 25, 2021
Really different way of framing things that I found quite effective. Will be saving this one to my favorites.
Eric
June 21, 2021
Listening to the internal verbal space go quiet was an incredibly relaxing experience
Caroline
November 1, 2020
Challenging... exactly what I needed to go to the next level.
Chris
April 13, 2020
A new approach to quiet for me. I need more practice. I returned after a year of experience and was much more comfortable. 4/13
Valerie
April 12, 2020
Very good, I loved the meditation❤❤❤
Steve
February 16, 2020
Great experience and technique and I will use it, but I had a hard time listening and stopping the thinking mind - more space would be better
Ekaterina
March 30, 2019
Great meditation! I haven't tried this method before and it seems very helpful to witness the mind at rest, rather than chasing activity. I enjoyed the meditation itself, the pace and the voice of the teacher, and had fantastic creative insights immediately afterward following the practice. Thank you 🙏🌷
JLR
March 15, 2018
Extremely helpful and relaxing! Thank you.
Gina
December 29, 2017
So interesting and helpful, Thankyou!
Peter
October 7, 2017
Thank you again.
Taylor
August 11, 2017
Worked very well. Will use more
Amanda
June 22, 2017
Great. I will return to this one definitely.
Sonia
May 17, 2017
I love this one and use it often.
Bill
April 11, 2017
Very good, thank you
Will
September 21, 2016
With mind-pleasing tonal quality and exquistie enunciation, Stephanie's mesmerizing meditative dialogues never fail in carrying me off to the quieted mental state of her choosing. I return to her guided meditations regularly.
Kelly
May 27, 2016
I was able to put Stephanie's guidance into immediate effect when my husband entered the room and became getting ready for work during this meditation. I was able to hear his movements without attaching to the sounds or feeling annoyed like I sometimes do when this happens. Very effective!
